Confronting Poverty Measuring Its Causes, Costs, and Consequences

• Published date: 01 January 2024
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00027162241293560
• Author: Leslie Mcgranahan,Diane W. Schanzenbach
• Date: 01 January 2024
• Subject Matter: Introduction

8 ANNALS, AAPSS, 711, January 2024

DOI: 10.1177/00027162241293560

Confronting

Poverty:

Measuring Its

Causes, Costs,

and

Consequences

By

LESLIE MCGRANAHAN

and

DIANE W. SCHANZENBACH

1293560ANN THE ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMYCONFRONTING POVERTY

research-article2024

We introduce this volume, which investigates a range of

topics about poverty, including its measurement, poli-

cies intended to alleviate it, and the role of the econ-

omy in the likelihood of being in poverty. The volume

was conceived as a tribute to Rebecca Blank, who was

a leader in scholarship and policy translation and served

at the highest levels in government and academia. The

final section of the volume explores topics of special

interest to Blank, including financial aid policy, the

evolving roles of women in leadership, the ways in

which academics can be more effective in policymak-

ing, and motivations for her work.

Keywords: poverty; Rebecca Blank; economic policy;

safety net; measurement

Conceived as a tribute to the accomplish-

ments of Rebecca Blank, this volume

investigates a range of topics related to poverty:

its measurement, policies that intend to allevi-

ate it, and the role of the economy in its exacer-

bation or mitigation. Known to many as simply

“Becky,” Dr. Blank was both a leading scholar

of poverty and inequality and a public servant

whose career demonstrated the ways in which

academic pursuits and civil service can com-

bine to bring manifold benefits to society. In

her extraordinary career, she made major

Correspondence: dws@northwestern.edu

Leslie McGranahan is a senior vice president and the

director of regional research and engagement at the

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

Diane W. Schanzenbach is Margaret Walker Alexander

Professor in Education and Social Policy and faculty

fellow in the Institute for Policy Research at

Northwestern University. She is a research associate of

the National Bureau of Economic Research.

NOTE: Any views expressed in this article do not nec-

essarily reflect those of the Federal Reserve Bank of

Chicago or the Federal Reserve System.